The strange, the bizarre and the unexpected

[Naboka]

Ah, when that player chose "tire" as their message, they were referring to weltschmerz. The feeling that physical reality can never match the aspirations of the mind. A world weariness.

Tire.

We're given tasks which seem endless, that have no meaning. We tire of them. The tasks stultify rather than inspire.

Gertrude Stein wrote on her paper when studying under William James that she had no interest in taking an exam in philosophy that day. For which James gave her an
A.

She had tired of the tedium of examination as proof of her knowledge and inclinations. She had taken a philosophical position rather than a test.

Some days, playing Wordtwist can seem so meaningless. An endless exam. A hamster cage of challenge.

Literally meaningless, as we play so many words that mean nothing to us.

The player was merely emphasizing that they controlled the game rather than the game controlling them. By choosing that one word (and no more) they declared their ability to stop when they chose, rather than being a slave to clock or stats.

They had chosen enlightenment over task.

For them, the reward no longer came from the game.

[lalatan]

There certainly are some clever devils lurking here.

Imagine the clairovoyance needed to predict such an outcome through every deflection of energy and choice through time and space.

Simply amazing.

And then, to only pick such a humble word as a message.

Like finding a note in a bottle, washed to shore, and revealing a koan, which, once understood will bring Satori.

Who would have anticipated that the simple word "coursed" could change the...

the...

the...

course of one's life?

I saved this screenshot of a game I played 2 months ago. My record was 10x the pt value of the previous record, a personal best. Why someone (likely the same user you cited) would play a game for 3 mins and only play 1 word worth 3 pts befuddled me. I did not even consider his choice of "tire" could be a message to humanity. A lack of imagination on my part I admit. Now I'm interested in how you will philosophize this one.
10X MORE PTS POST.jpg

[dannyb]

[QUOTE=Naboka;n30073]

Wow. Big fish. Great story.

Why DiMaggio? It's been decades since I've read Hemingway.

Santiago (the main character) loved DiMaggio it was his favorite baseball player AND the son of a fisherman. Santiago would talk to his protegee Manolin about "the great DiMaggio"

[Naboka]

They knew you were coming and did it just to mess with you.

There certainly are some clever devils lurking here.

Imagine the clairovoyance needed to predict such an outcome through every deflection of energy and choice through time and space.

Simply amazing.

And then, to only pick such a humble word as a message.

Like finding a note in a bottle, washed to shore, and revealing a koan, which, once understood will bring Satori.

Who would have anticipated that the simple word "coursed" could change the...

the...

the...

course of one's life?

[Naboka]

I wouldn't have done what you did. I wouldn't have acted as you did. I would have had an accident, and pulled that paddle back and hoped I didn't look like prey.
And I wouldn't have gone out again. Ever.

Went out the next morning and saw a school of small rays. Maybe 15 of them, in groups of 3-4, darting all over the place.

Long ago, I wrote my jisea.

Now, it's simply enjoying the poetry of living. +

Jisei: Japanese farewell poem written as death approaches. A word not accepted in Wordtwist and which isn't in Lexic. But should be added.

[Naboka]

I was canoeing in Whalebone Cove (an oxbow still connected to the Connecticut River) early one morning when a channel catfish passed under my canoe. It was about 3 feet long. I was impressed. About 15 minutes later a shadow of a fish about 5-6 feet long went under my canoe. I have no idea what it could have been. I don't think that there are blue catfish in Connecticut. I was about a half mile up from the brackish area of the river.

I felt like Santiago, the fisherman, in "The Old Man and the Sea". Seeing that shadow made me whisper, "The great DiMaggio."

Wow. Big fish. Great story.

Why DiMaggio? It's been decades since I've read Hemingway.

A couple of bull sharks have made it all the way up the Mississippi River to St Louis. Wonder if it was a shark you saw.

The shark I saw would probably measure in the 6-9' range, but water distortions and mental recalculations can exaggerate experience.

[dannyb]

Was kayaking on the gulf near Pensacola for morning exercise. Glanced down and saw a bull shark that looked in the 8-12' range--about 10 feet deep.

Mixed feelings about something so grand. And something so scary.

Pulled in the paddle and drifted, watching it as long as I could.

I was canoeing in Whalebone Cove (an oxbow still connected to the Connecticut River) early one morning when a channel catfish passed under my canoe. It was about 3 feet long. I was impressed. About 15 minutes later a shadow of a fish about 5-6 feet long went under my canoe. I have no idea what it could have been. I don't think that there are blue catfish in Connecticut. I was about a half mile up from the brackish area of the river.

I felt like Santiago, the fisherman, in "The Old Man and the Sea". Seeing that shadow made me whisper, "The great DiMaggio."

[bwt1213]

Was kayaking on the gulf near Pensacola for morning exercise. Glanced down and saw a bull shark that looked in the 8-12' range--about 10 feet deep.

Mixed feelings about something so grand. And something so scary.

Pulled in the paddle and drifted, watching it as long as I could.

I wouldn't have done what you did. I wouldn't have acted as you did. I would have had an accident, and pulled that paddle back and hoped I didn't look like prey.
And I wouldn't have gone out again. Ever.

[mcdonna]

One weird board. All green with a single red.

A six point red.

Hnh.

Makes one wonder why.

Screen Shot 2022-06-20 at 10.43.59 PM.png

They knew you were coming and did it just to mess with you.

[mcdonna]

Was kayaking on the gulf near Pensacola for morning exercise. Glanced down and saw a bull shark that looked in the 8-12' range--about 10 feet deep.

Mixed feelings about something so grand. And something so scary.

Pulled in the paddle and drifted, watching it as long as I could.

Yeah, I hear you. Sounds as though you had an incredible experience, partly for the beauty and partly for the chill!

[Naboka]

One weird board. All green with a single red.

A six point red.

Hnh.

Makes one wonder why.

Screen Shot 2022-06-20 at 10.43.59 PM.png

[Naboka]

I used to whitewater kayak, loved the big stuff, even ran the Grand Canyon (225 miles) twice, but get me 50 feet from a visible shore in calm water and I'm seriously anxious. The scariest paddle I ever did was the 2.5 miles from Sausalito to Angel Island in the San Francisco Bay, on a calm day with swells about 2 feet. Never happier to land my little boat! So LANDLUBBERLINESSES works for me.

Needless to say, my paddling friends could never talk me into sea kayaking.

Was kayaking on the gulf near Pensacola for morning exercise. Glanced down and saw a bull shark that looked in the 8-12' range--about 10 feet deep.

Mixed feelings about something so grand. And something so scary.

Pulled in the paddle and drifted, watching it as long as I could.

[mcdonna]

Even though I love living by the Pacific Ocean I do not like to go out on boats where I can't see land. Therefore, I have also personally experienced some bouts of LANDLUBBERLINESSES.

I used to whitewater kayak, loved the big stuff, even ran the Grand Canyon (225 miles) twice, but get me 50 feet from a visible shore in calm water and I'm seriously anxious. The scariest paddle I ever did was the 2.5 miles from Sausalito to Angel Island in the San Francisco Bay, on a calm day with swells about 2 feet. Never happier to land my little boat! So LANDLUBBERLINESSES works for me.

Needless to say, my paddling friends could never talk me into sea kayaking.

[mdyak]

I noticed QUINQUASEXAGINTILLIARDTHS hasn't been found by anyone for months. So many mysteries about how this website works...

Yeah, what's up with that? You and I have found it, and now it's just gone. Plus my experience is I click through 100's of small games before I run into anything with word scores in the 40's or 50's. Boring!

[mdyak]

Excellent find, Naboka. Interesting too and, strangely enough, I never did wonder what the stalks that hold snails' eyes were called. Lol about the fear of eyes. Wow.

When I looked up THALASSOGRAPHERS (to ensure I remembered the correct spelling and I did), I saw there is also THALASSOPHOBIA: fear of large bodies of water. Even though I love living by the Pacific Ocean I do not like to go out on boats where I can't see land. Therefore, I have also personally experienced some bouts of LANDLUBBERLINESSES.

This is taking me way way back. My first language was Greek because that's where my family was when I learned to talk. Unfortunately, I wasn't afraid enough of the thalassa. First time at the beach I just walked straight in till the water was over my head - new encounter with the elements!